


Sick Days

by HiMiTSu



Category: Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:28:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7311280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiMiTSu/pseuds/HiMiTSu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For a prompt from marriedtojbiebs on tumblr: Lex sick fic! Just Lex being sick and being looked after: maybe by Mercy, Bruce, Clark, anyone!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sick Days

“You look like shit.”

Lex winced and let the sarcasm run on automat. “Wow, thanks.” Glared at Mercy over his computer screen. “You know I’ve fired people for less.”

She shrugged, a move so easy in its practiced elegance, and carefully lowered herself into a chair. “I’m aware. However I know that you haven’t fired anyone personally in ages. You so enjoy delegating it to me. And also,” her eyes gleamed behind the black frames. “You won’t fire me.”

“That is terribly self-assured of you.” Lex had to squint to make out the small lines of text on the screen, but he pressed on, resolute to beat down this lab report into submission. He had a staff full of lab rats to do that for him, but with his most ‘delicate’ experiments Lex preferred to deal himself.

“You can’t run this company without me.” Mercy replied smugly. She was beautiful as always, a dark suit all made of sharp lines accentuated the slight frame but in no way made her look weak. Graceful even draped over the uncomfortable guest chair, she watched him attentively. Lex had no way of knowing what those dark eyes saw, but they obviously were displeased with the sight. “What are you working on?”

“Lab report from today’s session.”

“Any luck?”

“There is no luck in science.” Lex growled. His voice, low in anger, scratched his throat and turned into a cough on the way out. As it started, it was impossible to stop and Lex doubled over in his chair, gripping the desktop with one hand so hard his fingers turned white. Mercy watched on how he practically spluttered his guts out impassively and only leaned over the desk to offer a handkerchief.

As the coughing subsided Lex wiped at his lips and fell back in the chair, trying to catch his breath. Every lungful made his chest hurt. Still with one hand he reached for the keyboard.

“Well, that sounded horrible.” Mercy’s comment was no much louder than his weak attempt at typing; hitting one key at a time with fingers that had almost no strength in them. His vision might have been getting blurry. “Such an important report that must be.”

“I need to finish this.”

“Apparently.” Her face, usually set in one expression of slight contempt, could be very articulate when she allowed it. This time, her eyebrows rose questioningly and lips pursed in displeasure the moment Lex’s eyes lifted up from the screen. A carefully crafted emotion set in her attractive features – her way of making him surrender. A sigh to top it off and a gentle command, “Leave it.”

Lex scoffed. “Sure, I’ll just abandon all my work simply because you say so.” With difficulty he straightened, putting more effort into the typing. He might have mentioned the word ‘kriptonian’ one too many times, and there might have been a ‘fuck’ lost somewhere along the lines of analysis but that did not make the report any less valid. “No need to act like you can command me.”

A sigh, deep and long suffering, grated on his nerves more than another off-hand comment could. He hit the next key with too much force and, coupled with caps lock it looked like the page was screaming back at him. He was angry and tired and this ridiculous woman was playing to get a rise out of him. Lex’s fingers closed over the sides of the laptop and the plastic cringed under the touch.

“I’m not trying to command you,” Mercy amended, probably realizing how close to losing his temper Lex was. “I am however, giving you an advice. You know, the thing you pay me to do.” Her lips, painted dark red, turned into a tentative smile. “Just leave the report. In this state, you’d only make it worse.”

Lex would have loved nothing more than to destroy her with a withering glare – if only he could figure out which one of the smirking females was real. His vision was swimming and the world was getting softer around the edges. He felt another cough coming but could do nothing to fight it. When the fit was over he lifted his head to see a glass of water before him.

“Drink and let’s go.” Mercy commanded and Lex could not find any power to snap back. He drowned the glass gratefully in big gulps and allowed Mercy to help him up and out of the office.

The car was waiting outside and it started moving even before the two of them could settle in comfortably. Lex’s head fell against the back rest and he shut his eyes against the glare of street lamps. His head was splitting with a dull ache, seated deep at his brow, and he pushed his thumb at it, desperate to force it out.

“Here.”

Mercy’s voice sounded softer when she handed him a pill and a bottle of water. “Should help with your head.”

Lex gulped down the pills without looking and hoped they would work quickly. It seemed now that he allowed himself to feel sick the illness overtook his whole body. He felt exhausted.

Since staying upright proved to be a challenge, it seemed like an amazing idea to slump sideways. He ended up with his head in Mercy’s lap, her pencil skirt scratchy under his cheek. She muttered something about him being completely out of it, but could not build up enough irritation to be offended. This was one position that made him feel a little better.

With hand shaking from exhaustion he reached up and gripped Mercy’s bony knee, anchoring himself.

“You’ll be home soon,” a calming voice promised. “Do you want me to call a doctor?”

Lex clamped his lips together for the fear he would throw up otherwise and shook his head. He would be fine. Not the first time exhaustion and sleep deprivation got better of him. Maybe a cold on top of it, but it didn’t matter. Lex had never been sick for long. Sleep would be the best medicine.

“You are impossible.” Mercy chastised, but her actions made a deep contrast to the exasperation of her words. Her fingers ran through the red curls, massaging Lex’s scalp and helping to ease the pain.

Breathing came more easily now and his grip grew slack on her knee. He was good enough to comment, “Better now.”

“Oh, well then.” She jerked her knee as if to dislodge him and Lex dug his nails into the soft skin of her thigh.

“Not that much better.” A yawn swallowed all the malice from Lex’s voice.

His lids were heavy and body lax with the drowsiness, but he could not fall asleep yet, not until he was safe in his own bed. He knew if he closed his eyes now he’d drop into a deep sleep in seconds and there would be no way to wake him up. Why did he have the main facility so far away from the city? Oh yes, to conduct illegal experiments on aliens. That thought made him smile.

“Hide that creepy grin we are almost there.”

The car jerked, coming to a stop in before the security gates, and continued smoothly down the path to the manor. Mercy helped him out when they arrived; for a petit woman in high heels she was surprisingly strong and dexterous, still dragging a half-unconscious body was not so easy. Thankfully, Lex missed out on their trip across the manor corridors, only getting flashes of recognition every second moment. He only became aware of his surroundings when he blissfully flopped face first into a bed. The bed. His own huge and unbelievably comfortable bed.

Mercy stood over him with her arms crossed, clearly judging, but Lex merely curled up on top of the covers. Her amused huff was the right signal he needed to realize he was in safe environment and finally allowed to relax.

“Thank you.” His gratitude got smothered by a pillow he buried his face in, but he was sure Mercy understood the sentiment.

The clicking of her heels as she left him to rest carried him out into sleep.

 


End file.
